DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award 2022 Winners Announcement 16 rising stars attract attention of local design community

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 23 November 2022 – Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) announced the awardees of DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award (DFA HKYDTA). 16 young and outstanding designers from Hong Kong were selected by a professional judging panel, 13 of them will be granted with extensive financial sponsorship to work or study abroad to gain exposure to other cultures and practical experiences, to take their future accomplishments in terms of personal development and contributions to the Hong Kong creative industries to the next level.

The winners are distinguished designers from varied fields with diverse backgrounds. Not only are they demonstrating expertise in their professional realms, but also possessing a multidisciplinary spirit and uphold the mission of serving the society. They include product and industrial designers focusing on maximising the potential of various materials and developing human-centred products; fashion designers enchanting fresh perspectives on the younger generation, keen on pop cultures and adept at incorporating the emotional demands of contemporary society into their designs; communication designers aiming to boost Hong Kong’s indigenous culture through visuals and integrated projects by fusing aesthetic aspects with the oriental culture; and spatial and environmental designer exploring the interaction among people, materials, and space, who pursue both the aesthetic and utility value. It is difficult to overlook their creative approaches and insistence on sustainability, social cohesion, and local cultural identity through their works impressed the judges.

Among the winners, 13 of them will receive a total grant of up to HK$5,000,000 to either continue their academic studies in related fields for 6 to 18 months in overseas or to undergo international work experience for 6 to 12 months with top professionals around the globe. These young designers will access to rich cultural soil during their overseas journeys, which will enable them to develop broad perspectives, inclusive minds, and expansive creative visions.

Professor Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC said, “Young design talent, who will become the backbone of the future, are constantly throbbing the design economy, providing fresh blood to the creative industries with their open, inclusive, and imaginative vision of the new generations. DFA HKYDTA aims to recognise the achievements of young designers and to support their long-term development. By providing awardees with opportunities of overseas exposure, we hope that they will develop an international perspective, draw the strengths from the global community, explore more possibilities, sow the seeds of building an active design network for Hong Kong’s creative industries, and co-create a brighter future for the international hub of design.”

DFA HKYDTA is one of five DFA Awards programmes organised by the HKDC, with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as the lead sponsor, and Hong Kong Design Institute and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, School of Design as sponsors. Established in 2005, the DFA HKYDTA’s mission is to nurture and support Hong Kong’s emerging design talent and fuel the growth of the local creative industry. Since its inception, this programme has provided sponsorship for over 120 young Hong Kong talent, all of whom are design practitioners or graduates between the ages of 18 to 35. The awardees will be provided with a sponsorship up to HK$500,000 to work at a renowned overseas design company for 6 to 12 months or study at a famed institute abroad for 6 to 18 months.

Please download the DFA HKYDTA 2022 Press Kit, with full list of awardees and high resolution images at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16qaqDyCxGuoG9GV1WUBrD0zwCQsqltFI?usp=share_link

Hashtag: #HongKongYoungDesignTalentAward2022 #HKDC

About DFA Awards (www.dfaawards.com)

In 2003, the Hong Kong Design Centre launched the DFA Awards to underpin the role of designers in society, to celebrate design leadership and exemplary designs and projects with impact in Asia, as well as to recognise the rising force of emerging Hong Kong designers since 2005.

The DFA Awards, through its five major award programmes, has grown in its international influence in Asia. The five award programmes include DFA Lifetime Achievement Award, DFA Design Leadership Award, DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer, DFA Design for Asia Awards and DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award.

About Hong Kong Design Centre ( www.hkdesigncentre.org)
A non-governmental organisation registered in 2001 and established in 2002, Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia. Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being.

The year 2022 marks our 20th Anniversary, where we will celebrate with a series of activities under the theme ‘Design for Sustainable Community’.

About Create Hong Kong ( www.createhk.gov.hk)
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK sponsors HKDC to organise the “DFA Awards” for years and other projects to promote Hong Kong design.

Disclaimer: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.